I have a new rug on my web site...on the first page......and I am calling it a "gumball rug". It is a pretty neat rug, if I do say so myself. So far, I have a pile of 2'x3' rugs.....that is approximate...some of them are a little longer. They are made from recycled socks, not just the toe clips that most "looper" rugs are made of, but the whole sock. I cut the sock seconds, the ones with little mistakes, into 1" sections. I start at the toe, cut that off.....and then just cut the sock into as many pieces as I can, each piece being a circle. Then these circle pieces, which I call sock clips,are looped together, with the toe clips(2 or 3 looped together) appearing every so often......about every 7 or 8 sock clips. They they are woven on a brilliantly colored warp that matches the socks. These rugs are soft and cushy....they are great in kids' rooms, bathrooms, or just about anywhere. They are all alike, and yet all different, does that make sense?
It is a great use of these sock seconds, that would otherwise be a huge waste product.
I love making new things out of old things, or things you wouldn't expect. I also love using things for other than they were intended, rather than throwing them out.
Today I bought some antique rugs.......from a very nice old gentleman who came to my door, because he thought I would be interested. And of course, he was right. I was. So now, I have to decide how to clean them, and then how to save them. Some of them are OK, and others are not. Some can be cut down to make smaller rugs, and a couple can be rewoven. The colors are great in them, and the fabric was cut so thin, they are great rugs. I so admire the way they were woven, and think that once someone sat at the loom weaving them, much like I sit and weave all day in my studio. Interesting.
